Skoda to showcase vision of electric future at the Shanghai Motor Show ~ station of gear

Bespoke Skoda EV model could be heading to Shanghai as CEO confirms the brand's plans for an 'electric shock' in China

2017-03-07 21:25

Skoda will present its first vision of an all-electric future at next month’s Shanghai Motor Show.

During an exclusive interview with Auto Express at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, chief executive officer Bernhard Maier confirmed that the brand had an electric shock in store for the Chinese show in late April.

Talking about the brand’s plans for alternative powertrains, Maier said: “In Shanghai we will show a surprise. It will give an outlook of what electrical mobility at Skoda will look like.”

Specifically what Skoda intends to display is unclear. But a concept that previews an all-electric model due in three years would appear the most likely scenario.

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Maier provided a lowdown of Skoda’s electric timeline when he explained: “We will first come up with a plug-in hybrid Superb in 2019 and the first purpose-built pure-electric vehicle will come right afterwards, currently planned to be on the market in 2020.”

The CEO stopped short of confirming that “purpose-built” meant an all-new model – not an EV version of an existing car – but hinted strongly that this would be the case, stressing: “It will be a huge step forward. It is brand new technology. The electrified car has to be different as the opportunities are much bigger than we have seen in the past.”

Of course, Skoda will have technology at its disposal that is used within the wider Volkswagen Group, with stablemate Audi planning an all-electric SUV, VW fine-tuning the I.D. and already selling the e-Up! and e-Golf, and even SEAT dipping its toe in the water with the e-Mii.

But Maier was unapologetic about trailing his sister brands into the pure-EV market, and explained any Skoda electric vehicle would have to fill a specific brief.

He concluded: ““By this time [2020] the infrastructure will be better prepared for electric mobility. Skoda does not have to be the leader of every new technology that comes on the market.

“We analyse what is helpful for our customers, what is suitable, what they are asking for, and of course whether it is accessible for them.”

Would you buy an all-electric Skoda in the future? Let us know below...

Graham Hope

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